Heat dissipating device

ABSTRACT

A heat dissipating device includes a heat receiver, a fin member including a plurality of spaced fins defining aligned holes, and at least one heat pipe connecting the heat receiver with the fin member. Some of the fins adjacent the heat receiver define enlarged openings each communcating with a corresponding hole. The at least one heat pipe is U-shaped and includes an evaporative section attached to the heat receiver, a pair of condesative sections received in the holes of the fins, and a pair of curved sections connected between opposite ends of the evaporative section and the condensative sections respectively and received in the enlarged openings.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to heat dissipating devices, and particularly to a heat dissipating device incorporating heat pipes for improving heat dissipating efficiency thereof.

BACKGROUND

As computer technology continues to advance, electronic components such as central processing units (CPUs), are made to provide faster operational speeds and greater functional capabilities. When a CPU operates at a high speed in a computer enclosure, its temperature frequently increases greatly. It is desirable to dissipate the generated heat of the CPU quickly, for example, by using a heat sink attached to the CPU in the enclosure.

A conventional heat sink comprises a base and a plurality of spaced fins integrally formed with the base by extrusion. The base is used for contacting with an electronic component. Heat generated by the electronic component is transferred to the base and then to the fins where heat is dissipated. However, the ratio of the height of the fins to the width of the space is limited by extrusion technology. That is, heat dissipation surface area unit volume is limited. Thus, when heat dissipation surface area is increased for meeting the increasing requirement of heat dissipation of the electronic component the volume of the heat sink is inevitably increased, which is converse to the trend toward miniaturization in computer industry.

Thus, a type of heat sink incorporating a plurality of fins stacked along a heat pipe has been developed. FIG. 3 shows a conventional heat dissipating device incorporating heat pipes. The heat dissipating device comprises a base 1′, stacked fins 2′ and heat pipes 3′. Each heat pipe 3′ comprises a heat evaporative section 30′, a condensative section 32′ and a curved section 34′ connected between the evaporative section 30′ and the condensative section 32′. The fins 2′ define aligned holes 20′ for receiving the condensative sections 32′. The holes 20′ are of uniform size and shape. The diameter of the holes 20′ are the same as that of the heat pipes 3′. Therefore, when the curved sections 34′ of the heat pipes 3 are received in the holes 20′ of the fins 2′ the curved sections 34′ will interfere with some of the fins 2′ located adjacent the heat evaporative sections 30′ at the holes 20′, which results in those some of the fins 2′ deforming. To avoid the interference, the heat pipes 3′ can be removed upward relative to the fins 2′ to cause the curved sections 34′ to locate above the topmost fin 2′ and out of the holes 20′. However, the heat pipes 3′ moving upward relative to the fins 2′ will result in the heat dissipating device incompact and occupying larger space, which runs counter to the trend toward miniaturization in the computer industry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipating device incorporating heat pipes which will not interfere with fins of the heat dissipating device in assembly.

Another object of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipating device with a compact structure.

To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a heat dissipating device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a heat receiver, a fin member comprising a plurality of spaced fins defining aligned holes, and at least one heat pipe connecting the heat receiver with the fin member. Some of the fins adjacent the heat receiver define enlarged openings each communcating with a corresponding hole. The at least one heat pipe forms a curved section received in the enlarged openings of the fins.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with attached drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a heat dissipating device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled veiw of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a conventional heat dissipating device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1-2 show a heat dissipating device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The heat dissipating device comprises a heat receiver 10, two pairs of U-shaped heat pipes 20, 30 and a fin member 40.

The heat receiver 10 is rectangular and has a top surface for absorbing heat from a heat source (not shown), a bottom surface defining a plurality of parallel grooves 12.

The first pair of heat pipes 20 each comprises an evaporative section 22, a pair of condensative sections 24 extending from opposite ends of the evaporative section 22, and a pair of curved sections 23 connecting the evaporative section 22 with the condensative sections 24. The second pair of heat pipes 30 each comprises an evaporative section 32, a pair of condensative sections 34, and a pair of curved sections 33 connecting the evaporative section 32 with the condensative sections 34. The evaporative sections 22, 32 of the heat pipes 20, 30 are fixedly received in the corresponding grooves 12 of the heat receiver 10 by welding or other conventional ways.

The fin member 40 comprises a plurality of parallel fins each defining two pairs of first holes 26 and two pairs of second holes 36. The first holes 26 of each fin are aligned with the corresponding first holes 26 of the other fins for receiving the condensative sections 24 of the first heat pipes 20. The second holes 36 of each fin are aligned with the corresponding second holes 36 of the other fins for receiving the condensative sections 34 of the second heat pipes 30. The first holes 26 and the corresponding adjacent second holes 36 offset from each other in the direction of the evaporative sections 22, 32 of the heat pipes 20, 30. Some of the fins adjacent the heat receiver 10 further defines enlarged openings 28, 38 communicating with the corresponding holes 26, 36 for receiving the curved sections 23, 33 of the heat pipes 20, 30.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, some of the fins adjacent the heat receiver 10 defines enlarged openings 28, 38 communicating with the corresponding holes 26, 36. Thus, when the condensative sections 24, 34 of the heat pipes 20, 30 are received in the holes 26, 36 in assembly, the curved sections 23, 33 of the heat pipes 20, 30 are received in the corresponding enlarged openings 28, 38 of the fins to thereby avoid interference between the curved sections 23, 33 of the heat pipes 20, 30. There is no need to remove the heat pipes 20, 30 upward relative to the fins to cause the curved sections 23, 33 to locate above the topmost fin, which ensure the heat dissipating device to have a compact structure.

It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present example and embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein. 

1. A heat dissipating device comprising: a heat receiver; a fin member comprising a plurality of spaced fins defining aligned holes, some of the fins adjacent the heat receiver defining enlarged openings each communcating with a corresponding hole; and at least one heat pipe connecting the heat receiver with the fin member, said heat pipe forming a curved section received in the enlarged openings.
 2. The heat dissipating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat pipe is U-shaped and comprises an evaporative section, a pair of condensative sections, and a pair of curved sections connecting opposite ends of the evaporative section with the condensative sections respectively.
 3. The heat dissipating device as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said some of the fins adjacent the heat receiver defines at least one pair of holes and a pair of enlarged openings located between the holes.
 4. The heat dissipating device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least one heat pipe comprises a pair of parallel heat pipes attached to the fin member and offseting from each other in the direction of the evaporative sections of the heat pipes.
 5. The heat dissipating device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the heat receiver defines at least one groove, and the evaporative section of said heat pipe is fixedly received in said groove.
 6. A heat dissipating device comprising: at least one heat pipe comprising an evaporative section, a condensative section and a curved section connecting the evaporative section and the condensative section; and a plurality of fins stacked along the condensative section of said heat pipe with the evaporative section exposed out of the fins; some of the fins adjacent the evaporative section of said heat pipe defining enlarged openings at which the curved section is received.
 7. The heat dissipating device as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the fins defines at least one hole for extension of the condensative section.
 8. The heat dissipating device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the enlarged openings communicates with a corresponding hole.
 9. The heat dissipating device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said at least one heat pipe comprises a pair of parallel heat pipes offseting from each other in the direction of the evaporative sections of the heat pipes.
 10. The heat dissipating device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a heat receiver defining grooves at which the evaporative section is received.
 11. The heat dissipating device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the heat receiver is parallel to the fins.
 12. A method to manufacture a heat dissipating device, comprising the steps of: providing a heat pipe comprising an evaporative section and a condensative section thermally communicable with said evaporative section; thermally attaching said evaporative section to a heat receiver, further contactable to a heat source so as to gain heat therefrom; thermally attaching said condensative section to a fin member having fins for heat dissipation; and arranging said fin member so as to have a first group of fins thereof tightly surrounding an extending portion of said condensative section through said first group of fins, and a second group of fins thereof loosely surrounding another extending portion of said condensative section through said second group of fins.
 13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein an enlarged opening having a larger shape than a cross-sectional shape of said another extending portion of said condensative section is formed on each of said second group of fins so as to perform said loosely surrounding to said another extending portion of said condensative section.
 14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a hole having a substantially same shape as a cross-sectional shape of said extending portion of said condensative section is formed on each of said first group of fins so as to perform said tightly surrounding to said extending portion of said condensative section.
 15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said second group of fins is closer to said evaporative section of said heat pipe than said first group of fins.
 16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said extending portion of said comdensative section is linear, and said another extending portion of said condensative section is non-linear. 